Russia’s Su-57 fifth-generation fighter programme has strengthened the domestic industrial base for tactical combat aircraft, establishing new design and manufacturing capabilities across the supply chain. Its impact extends beyond the aircraft itself, with suppliers taking on greater responsibility for component development, production engineering and serial manufacturing.
Mikhail Strelets, director of the Sukhoi Design Bureau, described the Su-57 as a driver of technological development across Russia’s tactical aviation sector. He highlighted the programme’s role in establishing a network of industrial partners capable of delivering complex, high-technology systems and components for the aircraft and its potential derivatives.
The programme changed the relationship between Sukhoi and its suppliers. Industrial partners were selected not only for their ability to manufacture components but also for their design capabilities and capacity to prepare products for serial production. This approach required closer engineering integration between the aircraft developer and component manufacturers, particularly where new performance requirements exceeded those of previous-generation equipment.
One example is the involvement of ONPP Tekhnologiya, part of Rostec, which manufactures composite structures and assemblies for the Su-57. The company signed a contract with Sukhoi in 2019 to supply composite components for production aircraft. By 2020, Rostec had reported that the facility was ready for serial production of these components, as well as cockpit glazing.
The aircraft’s development also required solutions to competing requirements involving low observability, aerodynamic performance and structural strength. The design team had to reduce radar cross-section while retaining the flight characteristics required of a multirole fighter and accommodating a complex integrated avionics suite.
Sukhoi identified extensive use of composite materials, digital engineering and virtual testing of individual components as significant technological advances resulting from the programme. These capabilities required investment in engineering expertise, manufacturing processes and the industrial infrastructure needed to translate digital designs and advanced materials into production hardware.
Strelets also highlighted the Su-57’s modular architecture as a basis for further development. Potential derivatives include a two-seat combat trainer, a carrier-based variant and an unmanned configuration. Sukhoi is also examining the possible use of components and assemblies developed for the Su-57 programme in the Su-75 Checkmate light tactical fighter.
The extent to which these derivatives will proceed remains unclear. However, the reuse of existing systems, components and manufacturing capabilities could reduce development requirements for subsequent aircraft programmes. The Su-57’s industrial legacy therefore represents a potential resource for Russia’s wider tactical aviation development, rather than being confined to the production of a single fighter type.
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